As football season begins and the kids head back to school, members of the floral industry will hit the road to visit a multitude of conventions, trade shows and conferences around the world. Do you think when John Denver wrote the song “Leaving on a Jet Plane” in 1966, he might have been referring to flying to all of the floral industry events that seem to fill September and October? In this edition, Molly Mullins previews the WF&FSA Floral Distribution Conference;... Read more

The Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association hosts its Floral Distribution Conference each October in Miami, which brings together more than 900 floral industry professionals for three days of exhibits, education and networking. This year, WF&FSA is implementing some changes to its annual event, in order to provide a better experience for its supplier and wholesale members. WF&FSA wants to protect the suppliers who purchase Table Tops and ensure... Read more

Amazon, Wayfair and others have continued to raise the bar in terms of products available, pricing, and the speed in which they can logistically process orders and get it to their customers. So expectations are high and they should be. The distinct advantage that floral wholesalers provide is giving supermarket floral managers the ability to actually interact with a human being; one that knows the industry and can provide tips and solutions for any job, big or... Read more

The 42nd annual American Floral Endowment Fundraising Dinner will be held on Sept. 13, in Palm Springs, CA, during the Society of American Florists’ Annual Convention. This year’s theme, “Shining Stars = Bright Futures,” is a shout-out to those who help create bright futures for the floriculture industry, according to a news release. During the event, AFE will highlight many of the industry successes made possible though AFE funded programs and will pay tribute... Read more

Certified American Grown, a unified and diverse coalition of U.S. flower farms that includes small and large entities in multiple states nationwide, celebrated its fourth anniversary in July. Today, the coalition includes 60 farms that represent over half of all U.S. cut flower and foliage production. Here’s a timeline of the brand’s progress and initiatives: Launched in July 2014, Certified American Grown is a consumer-facing brand that promotes the origin of... Read more

minneapolis — After 58 years of service in the floral industry, Ardith Beveridge, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, MSF, longtime director of the Koehler & Dramm Institute of Floristry, here, officially retired on Aug. 10. “We at Koehler & Dramm are saddened to be saying good-bye to such vibrant and wonderful talent, and we are grateful for everything she has brought to our organization,” stated a press release from the school. “Her many years in the industry and... Read more

Agriflor will be opening its doors in Quito, Sept. 19-21 for the 17th time since 1992, which was the first year that Ecuadorian flower growers exhibited at a trade show in their own country. This year, over 75 Ecuadorian flower producers will exhibit for the first time and many of them are looking to start doing direct business with international flower buyers. “[It’s a] unique and amazing result to have found so many flower growers in Ecuador that [have] never... Read more

For many years now, September has been declared International Balloon Month. This recognition provides the opportunity to enthusiastically promote the joy of balloons all while encouraging their proper handling. Every segment of the balloon industry joins forces to raise awareness of the fun factor that balloons offer. Balloons are critical to the floral, party, entertainment, and special events industries and should be celebrated. For the eighth year in a row,... Read more

The 2018 Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit Convention & Expo is one of the hottest tickets of the year for the mass-market floral community. The floral lineup in Orlando, FL, Oct. 18-20 features more than 130 exhibitors in the new Floral Marketplace, over 80 confirmed floral buyers to date, a Floral “Flamingle” Reception, inspirational Forums for the Future speakers, and more. Fresh Summit is where the entire floral supply chain that supports the U.S.... Read more

The Society of American Florists will honor seven professionals with induction into Professional Floral Communicators — International during the Stars of the Industry Awards Dinner on Sept. 15 at SAF Palm Springs 2018, the association’s 134th Annual Convention at the Westin Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, CA. Adam Harilla, Kathy Jones, Louisa Lam, Klair McDermott, Carolyn Minutillo, Renato Segueco and Renee Tucci will be inducted into Professional Floral Communicators... Read more

If you want to spread some happiness, increase your business’ visibility and attract free publicity, then consider participating in the Society of American Florists’ Petal It Forward event on Oct. 24. For the fourth year in a row, SAF is leading the nationwide promotional effort that shows consumers how great it feels to both give and receive flowers. Participation in as many cities and states as possible is vital to the success of Petal It Forward from a public... Read more

minneapolis — Koehler & Dramm Wholesale Florist, here, will host its annual Fall & Winter Classic design and trade show Oct. 6-7, with advanced professional classes on Oct. 8. Mandy Majerik AIFD, PFCI, founder and creative director at HotHouse Design Studio in Birmingham, AL, is this year’s featured guest designer. MANDY MAJERIKThe two-day event includes a Designer of the Year Competition and Student Exhibition, a trade fair with dozens of international... Read more

Frank Adams Wholesale Florist is sponsoring the Society of American Florists’ 1-Day Profit Blast on Oct. 7 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Portland, OR. The event will cover design strategies, profitability, smart selling and how to strategically use social media during an eight-hour program. “M3: Money Making Mechanics,” presented by Derek C. Woodruff, AIFD, CF, PFCI, of Floral Underground in Traverse City, MI, will share ways to do more with less product to improve... Read more

Tuesday, Sept. 25 8:30 a.m.   Welcome and Introductions, Dave Dowling, ASCFG president 8:45 a.m.  “The ASCFG: Where We Began, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going” 9:30 a.m.   New Varieties Festival and Cut Flowers of the Year Announcement, John Dole, ASCFG executive advisor 10:30 a.m.  Break 11:00 a.m.  “Show Us Your Farm Hacks!” Noon   Lunch On Your Own Afternoon Concurrent Sessions: 1:00 p.m. “Cracking the Cascading... Read more

The American Floral Endowment is accepting applications for two floriculture/horticulture internship programs and the application deadline is Oct. 1, according to a news release. The Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program provides the opportunity to gain experience at a commercial production greenhouse or nursery. The program offers paid internships in three, four or six-month durations and provides scholarships of up to $6,000. In addition, faculty... Read more

More than 200 participants gathered July 12 at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Connections: Floral Miami to forge connections and explore the changes taking place in the marketing, technology and retail sectors of the floral industry. {igallery id=4866|cid=367|pid=1|type=category|children=0|addlinks=0|tags=|limit=0} Read more

The 2018 International Floriculture Expo June 25-27 at McCormick Place in Chicago drew more than 1,500 floral industry professionals for three days of education sessions, awards, networking events and a bustling trade show floor. After four years in Chicago, IFE announced its relocation to Miami next year for the 2019 event. {igallery id=1369|cid=366|pid=1|type=category|children=0|addlinks=0|tags=|limit=0}   Read more

On June 24, I was blessed with a new granddaughter and her name is Willow. This beautiful little soul has become the focal point of the family as she draws us all closer together and I believe she’s made us a more unified and intentional family. Plus, her name implies grace, flexibility and resilience — characteristics we could all use more of in our lives. In this edition, we feature articles on some “flexible” industry commodities — garden roses, sweet peas... Read more

Since 1992, Dutch nursery Lathyrus.nl has specialized in growing sweet peas and it now claims to be the largest sweet pea grower in the world. It harvests about 3.5 million stems a year and during peak season — from April through June — around 120,000 stems are harvested each week. ‘The strength of this little flower is the powerful combination of a delicate look and a divine fragrance,’ said business manager Jarek Ewiak.“We have many different colors and in-between... Read more

The annual American Institute of Floral Designers’ National Symposium is known for showcasing the floral artistry of its members. Entitled “Discover,” this year’s conference held in Washington, D.C., June 30-July 4 was no exception. This CalFlowers table exhibit at the AIFD 2018 National Symposium’s Partner’s Expo in Washington, D.C. June 30-July 4 was created by floral designer Derrick VasquezMore than 1,100 attendees, including floral designers, educators, and... Read more